Parachute attachment for airplanes



June 6, 1939. v 5 A P 2,161,722

PARACHUTE ATTACHMENT FOR AIRPLANES Filed July 25, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l June 6, s P

PARACHUTE ATTACHMENT FOR AIRPL ANES Filed July 25, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 gwmrm 3/771492 Fez U a. 6%

Patented June 6, 1939 PARAcHerE- ATTACHMENT Fea- AIRPLANES Samuel Fa Loweuviue; one Applicationiiily 25,- 1938, Serial No.- 221;210

4 Claims.

This invention relates to certain new and use= ful improvements in parachute attachment for airplanes.

The primary object of the invention is to pro-- vide a parachute attachment for airplanes wherein the parachute that is of the umbrella type embodying radial ribs for the support of a canvas is formed of substantially semi-circular sections respectively disposed at opposite sides of the fuselage with the side sections-adapted to be" folded into inoperative" positions in" forward directions" for confinement within a' hood at each" side of the fuselage.

A further object of the invention is to provide 3 aparachute attachment for airplanes of'tlie'fore going character wherein-the radial ribs-forthcsupport of the parachute canvas' are pivoted at a focal point at opposite sides of the fuselage with a lug at the outer end of each" rib movablein' an arcuateguidecarried'by the'fuselage with cords or cables" manually operable from- Within the fuselage for moving the parachute into its open'and closed positions.

Witlrthe aboveand other objects'in view'thatwill become apparent as the" nature' of the invention is' better understood; the'sarhe' consistsin' the novelforr'n', combination and" arrangement of" parts hereinafter nio're'fully" described; shown in the" accompanying drawings" and claimed;

In the" drawings:

Figural is-a fragmentary top planview of an airplane equipped" with the parachute attach ment= forming the present invention; with the sectional parachute 'in' its closed inoperativepm A sition andlocated' in relatively" narrow" housings at each side of the-fuselage;

.FigureZ'is a'fragment'ary top'plan view Show ing the'parachuteextended to its fully opened operablewithinthe' fuselageand extending through oppositely disposed guide tubesr fcr" the operation A of the parachute; V

Figure 5- is-a detail sectional View" taken on line 5 5 of Figure 2; showing a 1 lug carried by one ofthe' upper parachute ribs, slidable ir'i anarcuate guide for the parachute:

Figure 6 is" a detail sectional view taken orichute? canvas secured to a radial supporting rib forthe e'anv' s2 and Figure 7' is} nagmenmry perspective View of the outer end rib 'of a parach'ute section, with the operating-' cord attached to the- Tug of the rib 5- for moving-i the" rib?- and parachute section into" open and closed positions.

Referring more in detail to= the accompanyingdrawings}. the reference charact'er l ll'desi'g'ha-tes" the fusemge of the airplane equipped with the usual forwardly positioned propeller I I front andrear landing gears I2 and l-3- respectively; lateral Wings I4, rearwardly positioned elevators and a rudder Hi.

The parachute attachment for the airplane-isformed of two substantially semi circula'r" sections of r the umbrella type respectively positioned at opposite. sides of' the'fusela'gel0" withthe for Ward sides of the parachute sections disposed beneath the wings l4 and normally confined when'outof use in foldedpositionswithin side housings carried:- by the fuselage Hl' whichi com= prise relatively narrow top ahdbottom-walls: I8 anda front wall I9-while the outer side and rear end of each housing'is open for" the free move.- ment and: receptionof the adjacent: parachute sections i-l. Each section Hot the parachute is formed bytwo-ply canvas comprising top and bottom; walls and'2I respectively; with radial supporting ribs: 22- therefor thatare pivotally mounted at-thein inner focalends on a vertical pivot pin? 23* extending between the upperand lower walls- W of theside housing at the rearends-thereof, the-housingiand ribs being- 0f rela tive" lengths whereby said ribs with thecanvas.- parachuteecarr-ied thereby will "be received within the housingwhenthe-parachute'section is in its folded inoperative position. The =ribs; 2 2- are held immovable-relative to the top and bottom walls 2.0 and ti of the parachute canvas by-stitching said walls-2D. and 2t together-at opposite sides of said ribs. as shown at 24 in Figure 6. f

A substantially semi circularg ide tube 25"is carried by each side of the fuselage III in the" plane thereof: and centers on" the pivot pi'n23 for the radial ribs 22, the open ends'of the guide tubes 25 being} in communication with" the iiiterior of thefuselage llll' while said'guidatubes are slotted-at their outer sides 'as shown at 26 in Figures 4 and 5. A loop or fold 21 is' formed V in-the bottom wall" 2 I of" the a-irpiane canvas' to H3 at a point below the pivot 23 for the ribs 22, the inner ends of the several brace rods 29 that are respectively associated with the outer ends of the ribs 22 being connected as at 30 as shown in Figure 3 to the fuselage ID. The brace rods 29 prevent upward swinging movement of the outer ends of the parachute ribs 22. V

Each parachute rib 22 carries a disk lug 3| at the inner side thereof in line with the guide tube 25 and is connected to said rib by a reduced neck 32, the disk lug being freely slidable in the guide tube 25, while the reduced neck is movable through the slotted opening 26 in said guide tube. Each disk lug has a central opening 33 therein.

A pair of operating cords is provided for each parachute section I! and as shown'in Figure 7, the lug 3| carried by the end'rib 22a of the rear swinging end of the parachute section I! has a forwardly directed pull cord 34 passed through the central opening 33 in the disk lug 3| and anchored thereto as at 35, the rearwardly positioned pull cord 36 being similarly anchored to said disk lug 3| carried by the end rib 22a. The pull cord 34 freely passes through the guide tube 25 and also freely passes through the openings 33 in the other disk lugs 3| carried by the several radial ribs 22, the pull cords 34' and 36 passing over guide pulleys 3! within the fuselage In adjacent the connectedends of the guide tubes 25 with the terminal ends of said operating cords 34 and 36 suitably anchored or held inadjusted position.

When the parachute sections are in the closed positions shown in Figs. 1 and 3, each section is confined within the side housing carried by the fuselage I0 to offer the least resistance to the travel of the airplane and said parachute sections are retained in their. inoperative housed positions by anchoring the forwardly positioned operating cords 34. When it is desired to extend the parachute sections I! to their operative positions as shown in Figure 2, the anchored ends of both cords 34 and 36 are released and a pull exerted on the cord 36 which first moves the end rib and parachute section carried thereby outwardly of the housing to stretch the parachute canvas between the first and second ribs and a continued pull on said operating cord 36 successively moves all of the ribs out of the housing for the full expansion of the parachute sections andwhen the same assumes the position shown in Figure 2, the inner end of the operating cord 36 is suitably anchored for holding the parachute in its extended position. The parachute sections are moved to their closed positions by a pull on the forwardly positioned cords 34.

The forward side of each parachute section I? is suitably anchored to thebottom wall of the housing while the rear; side of the parachute section is movable into position adjacent the rear end of the fuselage H) to insure a complete para: chute support for the airplane.

While there is herein shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes 'may be made therein without departing from the j spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim: 7 v 7 1. In a parachute attachment for airplanes, in

section at each side ofthe fuselage comprising a parachute canvas and radial ribs with the inner focal ends of the ribs pivoted to the fuselage, lugs carried by the ribs and slidable in the guide tube and operating cords associated with the rib lugs and movable through the guide tube for opening and closing the parachute section, and lower brace rods extending respectively between the outer ends of the ribs and the fuselage with the inner ends thereof focally pivoted to the fuselage below the pivotal mounting for the ribs, each rib lug having a reduced neck connection with its carrying rib with the neck slidable through the guide tube slot and the outer end of the ribs extending outwardly and downwardly of the guide parachute canvas and radial ribs with the inner focal ends of the ribs pivoted to the fuselage, lugs carried by the ribs and slidable in the guide tube and operating cords associated with the rib lugs and movable through the guide tube for opening and closing the parachute section, and a relatively narrow housing at each side of the fuselage to receive the adjacent parachute section when in folded position, and lower brace rods extending respectively between the outer, ends of the ribs and the fuselage with the inner ends thereof focally pivoted to the fuselage below the pivotal mounting for the ribs, each rib lug having a reduced neck connection with its carrying rib with the neck slidable through the guide tube slot and the outer end of the ribs extending outwardly and downwardly of the guide tube for attachment to the brace rods.

3. In a parachute attachment for airplanes, in combination, a fuselage, an arcuate guide tube at each side of the fuselage in the plane thereof and slotted at its outer side, an arcuate parachute section at each side of thefuselage comprising a parachute canvas and radial ribs with the inner focal ends of the ribs pivoted to the fuselage, lugs carried by the ribs and slidable in the guide tube and operating cords associated with the rib lugs and movable through theguide tube for opening and closing the parachute section, and lower brace rods extending respectively between the outer ends ofthe ribs and the fuselage with the inner ends thereof focally pivoted the lugs carried by the other ribs.

4. In a parachute attachment for airplanes, in.

combination, a fuselage, an arcuate guide tube at each side of the fuselage in the plane thereof and slotted at its outer-side, an arcuate parawith the rib lugs and movable through the guide tube for opening and closing the parachute section, and a relatively narrow housing at each side of the fuselage to receive the adjacent parachute section when in folded position, and lower brace rods extending respectively between the outer ends of the ribs and the fuselage with the inner ends thereof focally pivoted to the fuselage below the pivotal mounting for the ribs, each rib lug having a reduced neck connection with its carrying rib with the neck slidable through the guide tube slot and the outer end of the ribs extending outwardly and downwardly of the guide tube for attachment to the brace rods, the operating cords including a front and rear pull cord with adjacent ends of each cord secured to the lug carried by the outer rear rib and the front pull cord being slidable through the lugs carried by the other ribs.

SAMUEL PAPP. 

